Cerro Chirripo (12,533') by Brian Schultz Sunday- Monday November 15-16, 2009
Roundtrip mileage: ~ 23.5 miles
Elevation gain: ~ 7,700'
Participants: Jason Mayfield, Brian Schultz
Chirripo is Costa Rica's highest summit at 12,533' and lies within the confines of Chirripo National Park. Even at 23.5 miles roundtrip, it's a popular hike and we scheduled our climb well in advance. We reserved our permits directly through the rangers at the National Park and also reserved a room at the summit lodge at 11,000 ft for one night because we didn't want to dayhike the peak. Permits are $15.00 and a night at the summit lodge is $10.00 but if using a tour agency instead of booking through the National Park office, especially in the dry season, expect to pay hundreds of dollars for the climb.
I flew into San Jose in the afternoon on November 19th and waited up at the hotel for Jason's arrival at 11:00 pm. The next morning we shuttled back to the airport, picked up our rental car, and headed down to the Pacific coast via Jaco and Quepos. It's an indirect way of getting to San Isidro, the gateway town to Chirripo National Park, but the roads are better and it avoids the issues of the Interamerican Highway as it crosses over a 10,800' pass called Cerro de la Muerte (Mountain of Death). The Interamerican Highway is the country's main thoroughfare between Nicaragua and Panama and we were warned that semi-trucks maneuvering the switchbacks, as well as potential dense fog and heavy rains, can contribute to a very slow drive.
Driving in Costa Rica isn't a problem except for often non-existent highway signs at road junctions and speed traps to catch the unwary tourists. It only took an hour and a half before we were stopped. Told that if we paid $50.00 in cash up front, the officer wouldn't write a ticket but if we refused he'd write a ticket and we'd have to pay at the airport before being allowed to fly home. After haggling a while we finally offered $20.00, which prompted him to smile and kiss the cross around his neck. We weren't impressed by his gesture but we did watch our speed after that.
We stopped in Quepos to look up a schoolmate of Jason's named Adrienne, who moved to Costa Rica 16 years ago. She owns two coffee shops and an online business. It was great to meet her and she helped us find places to stay, suggested the best beaches to visit, and arranged a zipline for us after the climb.
After spending Saturday morning at the very beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park, Jason and I drove to San Isidro. We missed the turnoff from Dominical (no sign, of course) and ended up driving about seven miles before realizing it. There was a sign from the other direction though. In San Isidro we looked for signs for Chirripo National Park but there weren't any there either and it took two tries of driving back and forth to find somebody who knew the correct road to the small village of San Gerardo de Rivas outside the park. With all the missed turns we were worried about getting to the ranger station and picking up our permits before it closed at 4:30 but we made it with a half hour to spare. The road to the town is steep and we were glad to have a four wheel drive vehicle.
We waited fifteen minutes behind a young couple taking care of their permits and summit lodge reservations, and after paying our fees we headed up the road to find a place to stay. Small inns known as cabinas are plentiful and inexpensive and we looked for one close to the trailhead. We chose the Albergue Uran, which has a store and a good restaurant, and also rents camp stoves, sleeping bags, and other equipment.
Sunday November 15, 2009: Crestones Hut, elevation: ~11,000 ft.
Jason and I had breakfast at the Albergue Uran before walking up the road a short distance to the trailhead. Starting elevation is 4,828 feet and we began by headlamp at 5:00 AM on the excellent but steep forest trail. Every kilometer on the trail is marked and we entered Chirripo National Park at Kilometer 4. Our destination for the night, at 14.5 kilometers, was the summit lodge known officially as the Centro Ambientalista El Paramo but also referred to as the Crestones Hut. Because of recent rains, we had to sidestep many areas to avoid sinking into ankle deep mud but we kept a good pace and the trail leveled out after five kilometers. We reached the halfway point at Kilometer 7 at 8:05 and took a break at the Refugio Llano Bonito, where tap water is safe to drink without having to be filtered.
We met a young couple from the U.S. at the refugio. Nick was from Idaho and Molly from Colorado, and they scooted up the trail after chatting with us a bit. While stopped at the refugio, I looked for our permits and panicked when I couldn't find them. Permits are checked at the summit lodge but I was reassured by a descending climber that the ranger up there not only has a telephone and radio but also internet access and could easily verify our having paid yesterday. As it turned out, our permits were inadvertently left in the car.
I urged Jason to press on when my pace slowed and we hiked separately for several kilometers. As the trail gained higher elevation, the forest finally gave way to stunted trees, desolate burn areas, and open vistas. I met up with Jason again as the trail descended near Kilometer 13 and we soon crested just above the valley where the summit lodge is nestled. We pulled in at 11:35, resolved the permit issue, and were assigned to a four-bunk dormitory style room with Nick and Molly. The lodge is described in "Frommer's Costa Rica 2009" book as cold, dark, and cavernous- a spot on description of the facility with its minimal lighting, no heat, and a draft that permeates the hallways. The trailhead for the summit is adjacent to the lodge.
Elevation gain: ~ 6,200 ft. Mileage: 8.8 miles. Hiking time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Monday November 16, 2009: Cerro Chirripo
I woke up at 1:30 AM to lightning flashing outside the small room windows and stayed awake for the next hour wondering if a thunderstorm would hinder our summit bid. When Nick and I stepped outside at 2:30, we noticed the lightning flashes moving off in the distance and the overhead sky was clear, so we all had a bite to eat, readied our packs, and headed out at 3:05. There were six of us total on the trail- Nick and Molly, Jason and I, and the couple who'd registered at the ranger station ahead of us yesterday. We ended up hiking together for much of the way, all of us hoping to make the summit in time for the sunrise.
Headlamps lit up the excellent trail nicely but to our dismay it began misting just minutes after starting. The skies above had completely clouded over but fortunately the lightning we'd seen earlier was now way off in the distance. Jason and I put on raincoats and pack covers as the mist turned to rain. The trail became somewhat harder to pick up in the dark as it passed over large slabs of rock but we never lost it for very long and after a while Jason and I dropped back as the youngsters raced ahead. There was no need to hurry for a sunrise that wasn't going to be seen.
Jason and I reached the saddle of Chirripo's summit ridge just as the sky started to lighten. Rain was steadily falling and the winds picked up as we climbed the last 300 feet to the summit, a class 2+ scramble that I really enjoyed but would've enjoyed much more if the rock were dry. We arrived on top at 5:10 to howling winds, driving rain, bone-chilling cold, and visibility limited to 100 feet. Needless to say, we didn't stay long and twenty minutes later departed.
Nick and Molly joined us on our descent while the other couple stayed longer. The descent went quickly and as we neared the lodge we crossed paths with later starting climbers. We pulled in at 6:50 and sat in the communal area for a rest. A worker in the kitchen offered coffee and tea which we gladly accepted before loading up our packs for the long haul out.
At 8:10 AM we departed under improving weather and were pleasantly surprised at how dry the trail was to the refugio. We arrived there at 10:10 and stopped for a thirty minute break. The remaining seven kilometers of trail back to San Gerardo de Rivas was a muddy mess though and it slowed us down considerably. Our legs were weary when we reached the trailhead at 1:10 and it was an easy decision to stay another night in the small town instead of driving to San Isidro. We got a room at the Casa Mariposa where Nick and Molly were staying. It was more like a tiny bed and breakfast than a cabina but it was very comfortable and homey. It had no restaurant so the four of us drove down the road that evening to the Roca Dura to eat, another cabina recommended by the guide books for its accommodations and good food.
Summit lodge to the summit; elevation gain- 1,535'. Mileage- 6 miles roundtrip. Hiking time- 3 hours 45 minutes
Summit lodge back to trailhead: 8.8 miles. Hiking time: 5 hours
Jason and I dropped off Nick and Molly in San Isidro on Tuesday morning and drove back to Quepos that night for dinner with Adrienne. We played tourists on Wednesday doing a canopy tour and zipline, and on Thursday I headed to the airport on a direct bus from Quepos while Jason remained in Costa Rica for a few more days. Chirripo was an easy peak to climb despite its large elevation gain and long distance, and even though we didn't get the clear morning we were hoping for, it was still a fun climb.